Spotlight: Winter’s Heist by Emily Duvall
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Winter’s Heist
Emily Duvall
Publication date: December 6th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Beautiful. Haunting. Rare. The Fabergé Eggs are on display at the Carter Museum of History and Science. Jason Hood, the museum’s pretentious owner, knows their value is bound to attract attention, but the coordinated attack on the exhibit is not something he saw coming. A field trip to the museum for Amara Massey and her students takes a deadly turn. She finds herself at the center of a police investigation with few leads. Convinced Amara is withholding information, Jason pursues her to get the answers he cannot get on his own. The outcome neither of them expect is their surprising need for each other. What must they sacrifice to get everything they want?
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Q&A WITH AUTHOR
Q: What is the first book that made you cry?
A: Not the first book, but a scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry witnesses Cedric’s death-I think I was just riding on the emotion of the series and then when that scene hit, I just started to cry. The dialogue and actions were beautifully written.
Q: What are some traps aspiring writers should avoid?
A: It is important for writers to create the story they want to write. I’ve made the mistake of letting people review manuscripts too early, and then making every little change. Feedback is extremely valuable, but there is a time and a place for incorporating suggestions and building confidence for what must stay and what should go. A writer can lose valuable writing time changing every detail based on each suggestion. Bottom line? Trust your vision.
Q: Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
A: Big yes. I was just telling a friend that I’ve been in a reading slump the last few months. I think it’s because I see the story from a writer’s POV now or maybe because there are so many choices for books in every genre, that it can feel overwhelming with what to pick and what to read.
Q: As a writer, what would you choose as your avatar or spirit animal?
A: Big Foot. It reminds me of Indie Authors. We’re out there and we’re writing and publishing even if you can’t see us.
Q: What’s the best way to market your books?
A: Word-of-mouth is still the most powerful tool, but with social media, I like engaging in readers that I follow on Instagram or Twitter and asking them to beta read. If they like the story, they’ll do these amazing posts with the cover of the book and reach far more readers than I can do on my own.
Q: Do you view writing as a spiritual practice.
A: Yes. The heart has so much to say.
Q: How do you select the names of your characters?
A: I look up names on baby naming websites. They’re all there with rankings and popularity. Mostly though, I just look to see if a name catches my attention.
Q: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
A: Yes, there’s always the occasional inside joke or word choice that is based on someone I know. Whether they pick up on it, I can’t say
Q: What is your favorite childhood book?
A: Nothing’s Fair in the Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements
Q: Do you believe in writer’s block?
A: Absolutely. I was at a writing retreat a few years ago and Sylvia Day was the guest speaker. She said that writer’s block means that something is wrong with your story and that point resonated. Now instead of wasting time trying to move forward if I’m stuck, I go back and re-read the chapters before, and that usually unlocks the problem and the solution.
Author Bio:
Emily loved reading books as a young girl and filled up her journals with characters (both real and not). Romance is her favorite genre to write. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. She loves hearing from fans and readers.
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